Pine Nut Finalist Number One

The moment all you pignoli nuts have been waiting for is finally here: The results of the Endless Simmer Pine Nut Cooking Contest! Our judges have whittled down the numerous entries, but as usual, we just can’t make up our minds (our our bellies).

So we’re turning it over to you to decide which of our entrants should be crowned the Pine Nut Champion, walk away with a free subscription to La Cucina Italiana magazine, and earn a spot in the Endless Eaters Hall of Fame. We will present the finalists day-by-day and ask you to vote starting later this week.

OK, I’ll stop jabbering on and focus on that tasty photo above that I know you’ve all been drooling over while skimming the last two paragraphs.

Our first finalist is Lisa, the lovely blogger behind Dish-trict. Lisa takes on bacon-wrapped dates, which Brit told us about last week, and kicks them up a serious notch. (Sorry, Brit, but she used pine nuts!)

Lisa starts us out with some biographical info….

I love stuffing things – pasta, roulades, turkeys…my face. So awhile back when I came across a recipe for Medjool dates stuffed with ricotta I knew I’d love it. And THEN when I came across a recipe for dates stuffed with ricotta and wrapped in bacon, I REALLY knew I’d love it. After I made them the first time, I was struck by how they looked a bit like mini cannolis, the Italian pastry which is also often filled with ricotta. Cannolis often come with pistachios or chocolate shavings – or pine nuts – pressed into the end for a flourish, so, what with my love of pine nuts in general, not to mention how well they would pair with the sweet/salty/smoky balance of the dates, I figured I’d try putting it all together. Not to brag or anything, but they’re pretty freakin awesome 🙂 I hope you like them, too.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut off the ends of each date and remove the pit (I do this by poking a chopstick through one end). Fill the corner of a sturdy plastic baggie with the ricotta, twist until taut, and snip off just the very end to make yourself a piping bag. Fill the cavity of each date with the cheese. Cut each of your bacon slices in half so you have 20 strips. Wrap a strip snugly around each date, securing with a toothpick. Cover a cookie sheet with wax paper and spray with non-stick cooking oil. Arrange the dates on the cookie sheet so that one of the cut sides is facing up. Pipe a bit of the remaining ricotta onto the end of each date (the bacon will serve as a ‘lip’ so that the cheese will stay in place). Press a few pine nuts into each end, and carefully place in the oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the bacon is cooked through and is getting crispy. Serve warm.

I have to say i agree with “baileys” somewhat: I’m not big on the way the bacon looks – really hate the stripes of fat at lean that emphasize that bacon is derived from the layers of a pig’s skin. Pig’s skin layers are very similar to human skin layers and I am firm in my anti-canibalistic tendencies. Anyway, a piece of bacon has never once parted my lips, so I try not to get too judgey. I can understand the idea of this dish, and it’s an idea I dig: salty/sweet, crispy/mushy/crunchy: a cornucopia of contrasts. me likes.

I can’t believe anyone would come here and call such an enthusiastically presented and beautifully photographed dish revolting. Here’s hoping my gratitude for your lovely dish helps make up for such annoying comments.

I noticed your use of waxed paper to bake this on. Have you tried kitchen parchment (which is impregnated with silicone)? Wax sometimes melts but parchment’s silicone doesn’t; it can be ordered online from King Arthur Flour and other online cookshops.

At any rate, thank you for this great recipe and your cheerful blogging.